Despite what appears to be a reasonable lead in opinion polls, it is increasingly clear that major figures within the parties represented by the pro-union campaign are becoming nervous about the result Scottish independence referendum on 18 September 2014.

In a front page article in this week's Sunday Times, under the headline 'Tories fear Scots will break away', senior Conservative figures north and south of the border voiced concerns that the anti-independence group Better Together was "too negative and lacked momentum". David Cameron's own election guru, Lynton Crosby, is mentioned in the article as saying that the Better Together is "so feeble that the future of the UK is in doubt", and the expert voting forecaster made the unexpected prediction that an SNP victory was "not only possible but likely".

The article also mentioned Scottish secretary Alistair Carmichael and Boris Johnson, the London mayor, who are among a group of senior Tories who believe that many undecided voters may be swayed by lingering antipathy towards the Thatcher government's destruction of heavy industry in Scotland, leading wavering voters to choose 'Yes' in the referendum.

The increasingly outspoken condemnation of Better Together's pro-union strategy is also fuelling tensions in the cross-party group, with much of the focus of resentment coming to rest on the Better Together leadership of Alistair Darling. The former Labour chancellor has opted for a strategy based on highlighting the alleged economic and financial risks of separation; however, many commentators now assess the strategy – dubbed 'Project Fear' – as damaging to the unionist cause, at the same time isolating large swathes of voters who see the message as predominantly anti-Scottish.

The Sunday Times article also cited a poll this month which suggested that the pro-independence Yes Scotland campaign is closing the gap in the race for referendum votes, cutting the 'No' lead from 19% to 14%, while a recent poll for the newspaper put the 'No' lead at just nine points.

In a related article last week, a leaked advertising agency report commissioned by Better Together has suggested that the unionist group needs to move swiftly away from its damagingly negative strategy. The major London-based agency highlighted one prominent danger of the negative campaign being that voters might associate a 'No' vote with saying 'No' to Scotland.

What do you think: is the Union already lost? Or is the Better Together lead now largely unassailable with nine months to go?

If you were in a dead end job and the opportunity came along for a different job with more room to better yourself, would you consider it? How about if you then went to your boss and explained your situation but instead of reassuring you things will get better, in fact told you things would get worse and how you would never make it in the other job, pointing out all your failing and threatening to give bad references making life as difficult as he could if you left. I gotta ask would you take it, would you walk back to your desk with your head low and tell yourself how right he is and what a failure your are? That is exactly what is happening with our nation, and the worse thing is 'the boss' has the 'grasses' within the workforce to keep that drip drip of negativity coming.

As the saying goes you are what you settle for, and if you settle for a 2nd class citizen of the world then dont be surprised when you get treated as one.

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“The most puzzling development in politics during the last decade is the apparent determination of Western European leaders to re-create the Soviet Union in Western Europe.”Mikhail Gorbachev

... The article also mentioned Scottish secretary Alistair Carmichael and Boris Johnson, the London mayor, who are among a group of senior Tories who believe that many undecided voters may be swayed by lingering antipathy towards the Thatcher government's destruction of heavy industry in Scotland, leading wavering voters to choose 'Yes' in the referendum.

And why not? Isn`t that good reason enough? What was the excuse for such whimsical behaviour, anyway? A self-indulgent economic-social-cultural experiment inflicted by the-then vain glorious leader herself. A "show of power". Cracking the whip for the sake of it to show who`s the boss. And let us not forget its` ultimate inevitable culmination... deploying the police as a pseudo-military force against striking miners. Working class n*gger, know thy place, right enough.

Everything we`ve endured for the last 34 years has all been the legacy of one action. And one action alone. Our decision to hide up the back of the couch last time round in 79. Everything inflicted upon us since has been a "gratuity" from our High & Mighty Southern Masters for staying put in their Empire -- sorry -- Union. (Whoops! Forgot, they don`t have an Empire no more!).

Anyone really eager to make the same short-sighted kamikaze mistake again?

I believe Nationalists, by their very nature, will be voting for independence. Buy yourself a dictionary in the January sales and see what I mean.

Sorry to wee on you again but.... the British themselves are/were very fanatical about nationalism. Grotesqueified it into a brutal global Empire, if I recall correctly. Check it out in an (ancient) history book. If you can find one. Though it will probably be a decrepit old mouldy rag like The Dead Sea Scrolls. Those bloated faded sepia pink blobs are what USED TO BE The British Empire. But, alas, no more! Or a hop into a De Lorean and put that pedal-to-the-metal! Relive the dream!!

The only political "elite" in Britain I am aware of are the self-appointed bloodsucking South East England parasites-by-birth who gorge themselves and their kin through the class system and our oil. And, of course, the Labour scabs who sold out and joined them. Which, of course, brings us up to speed on where we now stand viz-a-viz the referendum. And how it will, as we can now begin to smell, now turn out.

What a great day! 2014 at last! You can almost hear the clock counting down to the end of THEIR Union. Like it did with their Empire...

C'mon Dylan stop with the cutting i said 2nd class citizen of the world and you know it, with no voice in the world, no seat at the UN where the people WE vote for can discuss or debate the issues affecting the world, that is exactly what we are. When Scots have done so much for mankind and the world why on earth do you oppose it having the same standing in the world as say San Marino, who with a population of less than Irvine has both a seat at the United Nations and the Council of Europe?

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“The most puzzling development in politics during the last decade is the apparent determination of Western European leaders to re-create the Soviet Union in Western Europe.”Mikhail Gorbachev

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